Biography for Amanda Bearse

Amanda Bearse is an American actress, director and comedienne who was born on August 9, 1958 in Winter Park, Florida. She is best known for her performance as wacky neighbor Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy on Married... with Children, a very successful sitcom in the United States.

Bearse began her career by studying at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse under instructor Sanford Meisner. Her big break came playing Amanda Cousins on the soap opera All My Children between the years of 1981 and 1984. During and after that time she appeared in a string of independent and B-movies such as Fraternity Vacation and Fright Night.

Her huge break came when she was cast as Marcy Rhoades/D'Arcy on the sitcom Married...with Children in 1987. The show consumed her career until 1997.

In 1994 Bearse outed herself as a lesbian and performed in Out There 2, a stand-up comedy production featuring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender comedians. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her adopted daughter and her long-time partner.

Bearse took up the torch of television and film directing during her stint on "Married...with Children," having directed over 20 episodes of the show. Between the years of 1995 and 1999 she directed episodes of the shows Mad TV, Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, Malcolm & Eddie, Pauly, The Tom Show, Dharma & Greg, Veronica's Closet, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Jesse (starring her former Married...with Children co-star Christina Applegate), and Ladies Man.